Drainage apparatus for floating roofs



June 3, 1930. o. A. BAILEY DRAINAGE APPARATUS FOR FLOATING ROOFS Filed Dec. 10, 1927 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 June 3, 1930. o. A. BAILEY DRAINAGE APPARATUS FOR FLOATING ROOFS Filed Dec. 10, 1927 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 June 3, 1930. O; A, 'BMLEY 1,761,700

DRAINAGE APPARATUS FOR FLOATING ROOES Filed Dec. 1of1927 3 Sheets-Sheet 5 TA h I $4 2% I I Patented 'June 3, 1930 UNITED, STATES PATENT OFFICE OTTERBEIN A. BAILEY, OF

CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, ASSIGNORTOMCIHICAGYO BRIDGE a. IRON 00., A eom'onamon or ILLINOIS DRAINAGE APPARATUS FOR FLOATING ROOFS Application filed December 10, 1927. Serial No. 239,132.

This invention relates to improvements in drainage apparatus for floating roofs, and more especially to such apparatus designed for drawing rain water. The invention is- 6. here shown as applied to a floating roof or movable top closure for a container adapted to hold oil, gas, or other fluid. There is a common type of storage tank for volas tion will appear as I proceed with my specification. V I

In that form of device embodying the features of my invention shown in the accompanyingdrawings, Figure 1 is a top plan view, Fig. 2, is a view taken as indicated bythe line 2 of-Fig. 1, Fig. 3 is a view taken as indicated by the line 3 of Fig. 2, Fig. 4

is a view similar to Fig. 2 showing a modified form, and Fig. 5 is a view similar to Fi 2 showing another "modification.

is shown in the drawings, 10 indicates the ordinary cylindrical shell or side wall of a tank and 11 the bottom.

The top is closed by a floating roof 12. 13 indicates more orless diagrammatically shoes of welLknown construction adapted to seal the space between the edge of the roof and the'shell of the tank, 14' indicating a fabric commonly used in connection with shoes of this kind for completing the seal.

The details of this seal form no part of I the present invention and consequently need not-be described here. It will suffice to say that the roof 12 floats on the liquid or gas in the tank and is free to move up and down in accordance with variations in'the amount or volume of the fluid stored.

The floating roof 12 is preferably dished toward the center in order to accumulate the water at that pointand is there provided with a sump cover plate 16.

'17 indicates 'in general a down drain pipe 99 shown the p eferred. form ine e g The features and advantagesof my inven- 15 with a suitable perforated the twosections or pieces 17 and 17 connected by the swivel joint 18. The upper end of the section 17- is provided with a horizontal piece 19 connected by the swivel joint 20 to another piece 21 which opens into the sump 15.

The lower end of the section 17 is slidably supported on the rail 22 on the bottom 11 of the tank by means of the short horizontal piece 2 1 that rests on said rail. 24

indicates in general an outlet drain pipe of which 24* is a section, said outlet drain pipe being substantially horizontal and including the sections or pieces 24, 249 and 2 1". The section 2 1" is joined to the other sections by means of flexible joints 2 5 and 25 and another rail 22 parallel to the rail 22 is substantially arran ed to support the end of the section 24" a jacent the flexible joint 25.

Means are also provided for supporting the swivel joint 18 from the roof and liftin same from the roof, said means comprising a bridle chain 26 withthe upper ends attached to the roof and the lower ends attached to the joint 18 as shown. These chains are preferably made of such a length that when the roof is substantially half way up, or substantially in the middle position shown by the broken lines in Fig. 2, said chains will become taut so that during the further elevation of the roof the same will lift the joint 18.,

27 indicates a removable cover over an inspection hole 28 in order to give access to.

described. The roofis shown in substantially its lowermost position by the broken lines in Fig. 2. When in this position the lower end of, the section 1'7 'is'substantially in the center of the rail or slide 22. As the r ef r e e t n 17 eopt nu t9 Lie on the slide 22 and the rest 30 but the same The bridle chains 26 then become taut and lift the jointed end off of the support 30 carrying the pipe section 17 up bodily. This causes the lower end of the pipe 1 7 resting on the slide 22 to move to the left (as shown in Fig. 2) until the roof reaches its full height. In the descent of the roof, the movements are reversed. The sliding of the lower end of the pipe 17 on the slide 22 is permitted by means of the flexible joints 25 and 25 in the outlet drain pipe 24.

One of the principal features of the invention is the provision of means permitting the lower end of the down drain pipe to slide. This is of special importance in cases where the down drain pipe is composed of two or more swivel sections. For example,

with two sections as shown in Fig. 2, if the lower end of the section 17 cannot slide, then the jointed ends 18 must begin to rise immediately when the roof begins to rise. If this is attempted, however, it will be seen that the suspended ends of the sections 17 and 17 projecting substantially horizontally will cause a great pressure against both the upper and lower ends of the down drain pipe because of the leverage. With such a construction it would be very difiicult to hold the lower end of the section 17 and the upper end of the section 17 in place without the use of expensive and heavy fittings. By permitting the lower end of the section 17 to slide until the roof is part way up this undue stress and strain is removed. Lifting the jointed ends 18 by means of bridle chains 26 also assists in removing all lateral pressure from the upper and lower ends of the down drain pipe.

The modified form shown in Fi 4 is substantially the same as that shown in Fig. 2 except t at the down drain pipe comprises three sec ions 117 117 and 117 instead of merely two sections 17 and 17 as shown in the preferred form. In this modified form there are also provided two bridle chains 126 and 126 to support the swivel joints 118 and 118. Obviously two supports 130 and 130 must be employed instead of a single support 30. In other respects, the construction and operation is the same.

In the modified form shown in Fig. 5 the down drain pipe comprises only one section 217 instead of two or three. The lower end of this section is supported on a slide 222 similar to the slides 22 of the preferred form and 122, of the modified form, shown in Fig. 4. Since the down drain pipe in the modified form shown in Fig. 5 has only one section, there are no swivel joints and consequently no bridle chains or support-s similar to the support 30 shown in the modified form.

While I have shown and described certain embodiments of my invention, it is to be understood that it is capable of many modifications. Changes, therefore, in the construction and arrangement may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention disclosed in the appended claims, in which it is my intention to claim all novelty in my invention as broadly as possible in view of the prior art.

What I claim is new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is:

1. Drainage apparatus for a movable roof vfor a container comprising; a down drain pipe of rigid sections connected by one or more swivel oints 1n the container having its upper end connected to the roof by a swivel joint and its lower end laterally slidable on the bottom of the container; and an outlet drain pipe leading from said lower end of the down drain pipe to the outside of the container, said outlet drain pipe having universal joints to permit sliding of its inner end.

3. Drainage apparatus for a movable roof for a container comprising; a down drain pipe in the container having its upper end connected to the roof by a swivel oint and its lower end laterally slidable on the bottom of the container, said down drain pipe having one or more swivel joints intermediate its upper and lower ends; means for supporting said swivel joints from the roof; and an outlet pipe leading from said lower end of the down drain pipe to the outside of the container.

4. Drainage apparatus for a movable roof fora container comprising; a down drain pipe in the container having its u per end connected to the roof by a swivel oint and its lower end laterally slidable on the bottom of the container, said down drain pipe having one or more swivel joints intermediate its' upper and lower ends; means for supporting said swivel joints from the roof, and lifting the same with the roof; and an outlet pipe leading from said lower end of the down drain pipe to the outside of the container.

5. Drainage apparatus for a movable roof for a container comprising; a down drain pipe of rigid sections connected by one or more swivel joints in the container,

the upper end of said drain pipe being supported by the roof and the' lower end of said drain pipe, being supported on the bottom of the container; a connection between the upper end ofvsaid pipe and the top of the roof, whereby water will drain from the roof into said pipe; an outlet drain pipe leading from the lower end of the down drain pipe .to the outsideof the container; and means permitting lateral sliding movement of one end of said down drain pipe with respect to its $11 port.

In witness whereo I have hereunto set my hand this eighth day of December, 1927.

. OTTERBEIN A. BAILEY. 

